1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a drive for driving the two axles of an electric rail car.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Drives of the aforesaid type are well known in the art. In one particular type of drive configuration, an electric propulsion motor is disposed between the drive axles of the car and includes a rotor and a stator, the latter stator being without housing and having a lamination stack arranged between pressure plates clamped by tensioning elements. The drive further includes angle transmissions each arranged to couple torque from an end of the rotor shaft to one of the car axles via a pinion member. Each angle transmission is further provided with a transmission housing which is supported by the car axle associated therewith and which, in turn, supports the lamination stack of the stator. Bearings are further included in the transmission housings for supporting the ends of the rotor shaft and the drive is further provided with couplings for coupling each pinion of an angle transmission to its respective end of the rotor shaft, each coupling in turn being disposed between such respective end of the rotor shaft and the bearing of the angle transmission housing supporting such end.
The aforesaid drive configuration is advantageous in that the components thereof perform the function of the end bells typically employed at the ends of the electric motor, thereby eliminating such end bells and considerably reducing the weight of the drive. In particular, as above indicated, the shaft of the rotor carries the pinion members directly at its ends and such ends are supported in bearings in the transmission housings, the interposed couplings insuring centering of the rotor shaft. Furthermore, the transmission housings support the stator which has no housing. Since separate bearings for supporting the rotor shaft are eliminated the space requirement of the drive in the axial direction is also reduced.
It is an object of the present invention to adapt the aforesaid drive so that it can employ a high speed electric motor, whereby the power delivered by the drive can be increased.